Cleaner and separator for shelled corn.



D. B. RAWORTH. LEANER AND .:SEPARATOR FORJSHELLED (JOHN.

APPLICATION FILED 12,110.18, 1909.

Patented May 24, 1910.

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za/z'w/w Witwmoza D, B. RAWORTH. CLEANER AND SEPARATOR FOR SHELLED 001m.APPLICATION FILED DEC. 18, 1909.

Patented May 24, 1910.

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15 2 aw m Gamma DICKSON B. RAWORTH, OF BROWNSVILLE, TENNESSEE.

CLEANER AND SEPARATOR FOR SHELLED CORN.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Application filed December 18, 1909.

Patented May 24, 1910.

Serial No. 533,904.

To all whom it may concern:

Beit known that I, DIGKSON B. RAWORTH, a citizen of the United States,residing at Brownsville, in the county of Haywood and State ofTennessee, have invented new and useful Improvements in Cleaners andSeparators for Shelled Corn, of which the followmg is a specification.

This invention relates to cleaners and separators for shelled corn, thepresent applicatlon being a division of my prior application filed Aug.16, 1909, Serial No. 513,212, for corn harvesters, wherein I have showna machine for cutting the standing stalks, separatmg the ears therefrom,depositing the strlpped stalks upon the ground, and separating the earsand corn which may be shelled therefrom and delivering the same intoseparate receptacles.

The object of the present invention is to providenovel means forrecovering, cleaning and separating the shelled cornfrom dust and otherforeign substances and delivering the same into a separate receptaclefrom the cars, so as to prevent the loss of such corn and discharge itin marketable condition.

A still further object of the invention is to provide means fortemporarily preventing discharge of the ear corn from its deliveryelevator or conveyer at times as at the end of rows, when a wagonemployed as a re ceiver cannot conveniently follow the path of themachine. I

In my aforesaid application, I have claimed the construction of myimproved corn harvester mechanism. The claims of the present applicationare directed to means for treating the corn after it has been harvested.

The invention consists of the features of construction, combination andarrangement of parts hereinafter more fully described and claimed,reference being had to the accompanying drawing, in which Figure 1 is acentral, vertical longitudinal section of a corn harvester embodying myinvention. Fig. 2 is a vertical transverse section of the same. Fig. 3is a fragmentary horizontal section on the line 3-3 of Fig. 1.

Referring to the drawings, 16 and 47 designate snapping rolls whichremove the ears of corn from the stalks fed thereto by the gatheringmechanism of the harvester. These rolls are driven in a suitable mannerfrom a drive shaft 55, from which shaft a transmission shaft 62 isdriven by intermeshing gears 63 and 64.

Arranged below and in rear of the snapping rolls is a transverse searating chamber or casing 71 having a aring or funnel shaped mouth intowhich the ears separated from the stalks by the rolls fall and pass bygravity into the bottom of the casing which serves as a channelcommunicating at one end with the lower end of an inclined conveyer pipeor casing 72 through which the ears are discharged from the machine. Thebottom of this channel is formed by a slotted wall or screen 73 forminga partition between the channel and a duct or passage 74:.

Arranged within the casing 72 is an endless fleXible delivery conveyer 75 provided with cross slats 76 to engage the ears of corn and carry themto the upper end of said casing from which they discharge into a pivotedflexible spout 77 which when in lowered position permits the ears todrop therefrom into the body of a receiving wagon driven parallel withthe stubble side of the machine. The spout is supported and may beraised or lowered by means of a rope or cable 7 8 connected at one endthereto and passing forwardly over guide pulleys. 79 to a positionadjacent the drivers seat, at which point the free end of said cable maybe secured to a suitable portion of the frame so that it may bemanipulated by the driver to raise and lower the spout as occasionrequires. By elevating the spout the discharge of the ears therefrom maybe temporarily arrested when the machine is turning around at the endsof rows or traveling at points where it cannot be conveniently followedby the receiving wagon. The conveyer 75 passes around sprockets on upperand lower shafts 80 and 81 ournaled on the casing 72, the shaft 81 beingconnected with and driven from the shaft 62 by a sprocket chain 82.

In the action of the snapping rolls some of the kernels of corn may beshelled from the cars, which may be also partially husked and the loosekernels and separated portions of the husks will fall with the earsintothe casing 71. The ears and separated portlons of the husks aredischarged from the separating chamber or casing onto the lower end ofthe slatted delivery conveyer 7 5 through the action of a reciprocatingdischarge device or plunger 88 having an outwardly extending slidingstem 84 projecting from the end of the casing opposite the deliveryconveyer and connected by a pitman rod 85 with a crank 86 on a shaft 87connected with the shaft by intermeshing beveled gears 88. Through theagitative action of this plunger, the kernels are loosened up andseparated from the ears and husks and dropped through the screen bottom73 into the channel 74 which communicates with an exhaust or suction fan89 through a duct 90, whereby the kernels will be drawn into the fancasing and discharge through a nozzle 91, to which a bag or otherreceptacle maV be secured to receive the discharging grain. If desired,a blast fan or blower 92 having an outlet 93 may be provided to force ablast of air over or under the screen 73 to further increase theseparating action and to cleanse the kernels of corn of dust and otherimpurities. The blower fans are mounted upon a common shaft 94 drivenfrom the shaft 55 by a sprocket chain 95.

It will be understood that in the operation of the machine the gatheredstalks will be cut and conveyed in an eflicient manner to the snappingrolls, which will remove the ears therefrom and discharge the stalksupon the ground, and that the ears with any particles of the husks andkernels of corn which may be separated therefrom by the rolls will passinto a separating chamber from which the ears will be discharged in onedirection and the loose kernels in another direction into separatereceptacles, the loose kernels of corn being cleansed so that they willbe discharged in marketable condition. It will also be seen that asimple construction of parts is provided for effecting these results,and that the machine may be readily and conveniently adjusted asoocasion requires to suit the character of the ground or the corn whichis being harvested in order that the corn may be gathered in a rapid andeflicient manner and without liability of crushing or injuring the ears.

1. An apparatus of the character described comprising a receptaclehaving a screen bottom and a duct communicating therewith through saidscreen bottom, corn ear out-let communicating with said receptacle, a

plunger movable over said screen bottom to discharge the corn'ear intosaid outlet and free the shelled corn for passage through said screenbottom into said duct, and a shelled corn delivery device leading fromsaid duct.

2. In an apparatus for treating corn after separation of the ears fromthe stalks, a receptacle adapted to receive the separated ears and thecorn shelled therefrom, a conveyer for the corn ear leading from saidreceptacle, a screen within said receptacle, a shelled corn dischargingdevice communicating with the receptacle through the screen, and acombined agitator and ear discharging device movable in said receptacleabove the screen.

3. An apparatus of the character described comprising a receptacle forears of corn and grains shelled therefrom, said receptacle having ascreen bottom and a duct com municating therewith through said screenbottom, a corn ear conveyer leading from said receptacle, a plungermovable within the receptacle for forcing the ears of corn to saidconveyer and to free the shelled corn to permit the same to drop throughthe screen bottom into the duct, and a suction device communicating withthe duct for the discharge of the shelled corn.

4. An apparatus of the character described comprising a receptacle forear and shelled corn, said receptacle being provided with a screenbottom and a duct communicating therewith through said screen bottom, acorn ear conveyer communicating with the receptacle, a plunger movablewithin the receptacle for feeding the corn ear to said conveyer andfreeing the shelled corn for discharge through said screen bottom intosaid duct, means for delivering a blast of air through the screen bottomfor loosening up the mass within the receptacle, and a shelled corndischarge device leading from the duct.

In testimony whereof I affix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

DICKSON B. RAWVORTH.

WVitnesses:

T. O. HOLLOWAY, Jr., J. H. KING.

